Local Landmarks

They're all over East Austin—the restaurants, buildings, parks and houses that everybody seems to know. Like El Jardin Alegre, a little spot of land where neighbors can grow their own corn, tomatoes, nopales, and squash. These urban gardeners say that getting down in the dirt and coaxing their own food from the soil makes them feel connected to the land like never before.

Each house in East Austin also tells a story. One such house, La Casa de la Señora Lopez sits on a hill overlooking downtown Austin. When the developers came knocking, Señora Lopez said no. She spent her life paying for her house, raising her children in her house, and living in her house. No matter how much money they offer, she's determined to live out her life in her home.

Not all landmarks are entirely positive. Some are reminders of ongoing struggles for equality and social justice. The Holly Power Plant, which looms over Fiesta Gardens and the Lorraine "Grandma" Camacho Activity Center, has been controversial ever since it was built in the 1960s. And when an accident occurred in 2001, neighbors once again expressed their concern about its presence in East Austin. These movies tell the stories behind places you may pass by every day.